Surviving the Holidays: Gluten-Free Edition
Most of the time, I associate my favorite holiday memories with food. I won’t lie, when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, it was a tough pill for my Italian American family members to swallow. Back then, the available options weren’t awesome. They didn’t have boxes of gluten-free stuffing ready to go and some of our family favorites, like Swedish meatballs, manicotti, and lemon cookies really weren’t going to taste the same if we made them with GF alternatives. But….I’ve learned a lot in 14 years and the gluten free world is catching up. Here’s how I survive the holidays gluten free.
by Millie Cohen
Be Your Own Chef
Whether you’re hosting your own holiday meal or attending someone else’s, start figuring out alternatives to your favorite dishes now. Luckily, my mom has always been down to make me a smaller, gluten-free portion of our favorites -- one year, Millie’s Turkey™ even saved Thanksgiving! Usually, your hosts will accommodate you and make sure there’s something to eat, but if you have a favorite dish that you know you’d be missing, make it yourself. Writing this up made me realize how much I miss my aunt’s lemon cookies; I texted my cousin right away and she immediately was down to try to make them gluten-free with me.
Laugh It Off
It can be a bit sad and isolating to not share in your favorite holiday traditions. On top of that, it can also be scary to eat food you didn’t make or buy. Many people don’t understand the importance of being mindful of cross contamination or where sneaky gluten lives. All I can say is -- give yourself some grace. Try and find humor in the
Find the Sneaky Gluten
Gluten, unfortunately, can be sneaky. I was devastated when I found out that one of my family’s favorite ingredients to use, Lipton’s Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Dip Mix of course, has soy sauce in it and therefore I can’t have it. It took me many years to get comfortable enough with ingredients to know what I can and can’t eat. Here are some of the sneakiest places gluten hides in holiday meals:
- Any brown sauces or gravies
- Soups (and the bullion used to make them)
- Seasoning packets or blends
Make New Traditions
The holidays are fun because of the traditions we create each year. Though you may miss out on one of your old traditions, each year presents an opportunity to make a new one. If you can’t have the famous Thanksgiving manicotti (yes, this one of my family’s delicacies), try making your own gluten free lasagna instead. If you’re missing out on apple pie, find your favorite dessert from a gluten free bakery and make it your yearly tradition to get it from there. Embrace the challenge and make it your own!
Whether you’re a seasoned gluten free eater or braving your first holiday season without gluten, remember the subtle art of saying “no thank you!” and spreading the good word of gluten free goodness.